Judge Mary Shaw was handed five no-knock warrants on March 12, a published report says she signed all five in 12 minutes.
The Louisville judge who signed the "no-knock" warrant which led to the death of hero EMT Breonna Taylor on March 13 signed four others involved in the same case in 12 minutes, according to a published report.
Judge Mary Shaw signed the warrants for Taylor's apartment on Springfield Drive, a suspected drug house, two vacant homes nearby Taylor’s residence and a suspected stash house elsewhere in the city, according to court documents obtained by USA Today. The warrant for the suspected stash house was not executed.
Shaw did not respond to Inside Edition Digital’s request for comment.
"I was very surprised to learn how easily and quickly the deadly 'no-knock' search warrants were signed by Judge Mary Shaw," Louisville Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith told Inside Edition Digital. "It was shocking to read the warrant information and see similar wording used multiple times. The justification used to convince the judge was based on old information. For these reasons along with my desire to save lives, I sponsored 'Breonna's Law.'"
Sexton Smith helped propose and push legislation to ban "no-knock" warrants in Louisville. Earlier this month, Louisville announced such warrants were banned with the passage of "Breonna's Law."
On March 13, police armed with the no-knock warrant used a battering ram to enter Taylor's apartment around 1 a.m. as part of a narcotics investigation. It was announced last month that the FBI is now investigating the death of Taylor.
Neither Taylor nor her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were the investigation's target. Police had suspected, though, that Taylor’s home was used by another person to receive drugs. Neither Taylor nor Walker had any criminal history and no drugs were located in the home. Police say they announced themselves as they entered the home, however, it has been reported that Walker and neighbor's say they did not.
Walker, 27, had been charged with assault and attempted murder on a police officer. Walker had previously pleaded not guilty and been released to "home incarceration” before a judge dismissed his case in May.
The officers involved in the shooting have not been criminally charged or fired.
As the investigation into Taylor’s death continues, Sexton Smith says she “will work every day toward getting justice.”
"This nation once and for all can never turn its back," she said.
While Sexton Smith did not know Taylor in life, she said it was important that her legacy be honored in part by making "no-knock" warrants a thing of the past.
“This is so much bigger than Breonna Taylor,” she told Inside Edition Digital. “She will be celebrated in death more than she was in life and that is when you know your purpose on this Earth was well-planned and you know your legacy will live on.”
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